Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-15
THE RICHMOND DISPATCH TUESDAY, MARCH 49, 1887

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hpiiful TO the white than to the black msn.
| lie had strong affection for the
negro, but he deprecated any sudden
| or violent interference on the part oil
| toe State between master and slave.
| Nothing would have induced him -
| fsht for the continuance OF slavery: indeed
! he declared that had he owned every slave
In the South, he would willingly give them
all upif by so doing he could pr, serve the
| Union. He was opposed to secession. and
| Ia prevent IL he would willingly sacrifice
| everything except honor and duty, which
| forbid him 10 desert his State. When 10
| April. 1861, she formally and by an act OF
her Legislature left the Union, he resigned
| his commission in the United States army
| with the intention Of retiring into private
| life. He endeayored TO choose what was
| right. Every personal interest bid HIN
\ throw IN bis lot With the Union. HIS
property lay so close TO Washington that
| Il was certain TO be destroyed and sweet
| OF every slave, as belonging TO reoel.
| But the die was cast: he forsook every
| Thing for principle and the stern duty II
| eniailed. Then came that final teOp'aiion
| which opened out before him vista OF power
| aud Importance greater than that whlch
any man since Washington had held In
| America. General Longs book proves be-
yopd all further doubt that he was offered
| the post OF commander-In-ch ief OF the FED.
| eral army. General Scott. bis great friend
| ard leader, whom he loved and respected,
| then commanding that army, used all as in-
| luence 10 persuade him to throw in bis lot
| with the North, but 10 no purpose. Nothing
| would induce him TO have any part Ia the
| invasion OF his own State, much as he alb.
4 f..tr, .<rhfo oh ha IA
| rushing. HIS love OF country, his unsehsh
| PATRIOTISM, caused him TO relinqnish home.
| fortune, certain future, in fact everything,
| for Der sake.
ACCEPTING COMMANDER IS-cHIEPsHIP.
lie was not, however, TO remain spec.
| tator OF the coming conflict; he was too
well known to his countrymen In Virginis
| a. The officer 10 whom the Federal army had
| the most confidence. The State OF Vir-
| pipia appointed him malor-general and
| commander.iu.chief OF all her military
| forces. In open and crowded convention
he formally accepted that position, saying,
with all that dignity and grace OF manner
which distinguished him. that he did 80
"trusting in Almighty God, an approving
conscience, and the aid OF my ieIlow-citi.
zepsv The scene was most impressive;
| there were present all the leading men OF Viz
einia and representatives OF all the first fami-
| les in State where great store was attached
| to gentle birth, and where society was very
| exclusive. General Lees presence COM
manded respect, even from strangers, by a
calm. self.possessed dignity, the like OF
which | have never seen In other men.
| Naturally OF strong passions. he kept them
under perfect control by that iron and de-
termiDed will OF which his expression aud
bis face gave evidence. As this tall, hand.
some soldier stood before bis countrymen
| he was the picture OF the ideal patriot, I'M
conscious and self.possessed in his
strength. He INDUCED In no theatrical
display Of feeling. There was IN his
face aud about him that placid resolve
which bespoke great confidence Ia self,
and which In bis case-one knows not
| how-quickly communicated its magnetic
| influence to others. lie was then Just
| fity.four years old, the age OF Marlborough
when he destroyed the French army at
| Blenheim in many ways and on many
| points these two great men much resembled
| each other. Beth were OF dignlfed and com.
| mandiDg exterior: eminently handsome,
with figure tall, graceful and erect,
| whilst muscular, square-bullt frame be-
| spoke great activity OF body. The charm
| OF manner, which l have mentioned as
| very winning IN Lee, was possessed in
| the highest degree by Marlborough.
| Both, at the outset OF their great clreer
| OF victory, were regarded as essentially nj
| ional commanders. Both had married
young, and ere faithful husbands and de.
voted fathers. Both had IN oil their can.
paigns the same belief in an ever-watchiul
| Providence, in whose help they trusted i'm
plicitly, ar d for whose mterpOsitlOn they
prayed at all times. They were gifted with
the same military instinct, the same genius
for war. The power OF fascinating those
With whom they were associated, the spell
which they cast over their soldiers, who
believed almost supers,Iiously in their GER
tainiy OF victory, their contempt OF danger,
their daring courage, constitute parallel
that is difficult to equal between any other
two great men OF modern times.
ANTICIPATED LONG STRUGGLE.
From the first Lee anticipated long and
bloody struggle. athough from the bOmbls-
tic OratOry OF self.elected politicians and pa.
tIiots he people were led to believe that
the whole bu.ine,s would be settled in q
few weeks. THIS folly led to 4 serious
eyil-namely, the enlistment OF soldiers for |
only ninety days. Lee, who understood |
war, pleaded in favor OF the engagement |
pleaded in VAIN. To add to his military /
diflicutios, the politician insisted upon |
the officers being elected ly their meu. |
This was point which, ia describing to |
me the constitution OF bis army, Lee most |
deplOred. When war bursts upon
county unused TO that ordeal, and |
therefore unskIlled in preparing for 1t,
the frOthy babbling OF politicians too often |
forces the nation into silly measures TO its |
serious injury durlPg the ensuing opera
tioLs. That no great military success can
lie achieved quickly by an lnbroyised army |
Is q lesson that Of all Others Il made most |
clear by tie narrative Of this war on both
sides. All through its earlier phases the
press, both northern and southern, called |
loudly, and Oitentimes anIrily, for quick
results. II is tbs impatiencc OF the
people, which The press is able to
emphasize so strongly, that drives
many weak generals into immature
elton. Lee az well as others at this time
had 10 submit to the sneers which foolish
men circulated widely in the daily news
papers. II is quite certain that under the
existing condition Of things no Fabius
would be tolerated. aud that the iar.seeing
military policy which triumphed at Torres
Vedrss would not be submitted to by the
LLeisu punt VI IO-ud1s Itt WIS not, |
however, man whom any amount OF ir-
responsible writing could force beyond
the pace be knew 10 be most conducive to
ultimate success.
ORGANIZING TIE ARMY.
The formation Of an army with the mems
alone at his disposal was a colossal task.
Evoyihlng had to be created by this extra.
ordinary man. The South was an agri-
cultural, rot a manufacturing country, and
The resources OF foreign lands were denied
it by the blockade OF its port, maintained
by the fleet Of the United Suites. Lee was
a thorough man OF business, quick in deci.
sion, yet methodical in all he did.
He knew what he wanted. He
knew what an army should be-, aud
how u should be organized, both in
purely military as we'll q. an adminsira-
tive sense. In about two months he had
created a little army Of fifty thousand men,
animated by r lofty patriotism and courage
that made them unconluerable by any SINH
larry constituted army. 10 another month
this army at Bull Run gained com.
plete victory over the northern in. |
vadtrs, who were driven back across
the Potomac like herds OF fright.
ened sheep. As the Federals ran they
threw away their arms, and everything
guns, tents, wagons, &c.-1as abandoned to
The Niciofs. The srms, ammunition, and
equipment then taken we're real godsends
10 those engaged in the organization OF the |